This invention in general concerns a camera attachment for supporting a flash unit, and in particular is directed to such an attachment for providing multiple-position adjustment of the flash unit relative the camera to obtain special flash effects, without requiring modification to either the camera or flash unit.
Heretofore, photographers have sought to make sophisticated use of artificial light for enhancement of naturally-existing light (i.e. ambient light) or to produce some particular special effects for shading, contrast, or the like. Professional photographers in a studio have an advantage over photographers "in the field" since the studio photographers may permanently mount additional lights on movable tripods, separate from their tripod-supported or hand-held camera. Such separate mounting of the lighting or flash unit from the camera, including potential use of plural, separate lights, provides the studio photographer with maximum flexibility. However, such advantages are usually as a practical matter limited to the controlled studio setting.
Photographers in the field who wish to obtain similar flexibility with their lighting and/or flash unit accessories often separate their flash units from a fixed mount relative the camera and hold the flash unit in one hand while holding the camera in the other hand, so as to gain advantageous positions for both units relative their subject. The obvious inconvenience and reduced efficiency of separating the flash unit from the camera is to some extent necessitated by the typical fixed mount of the flash unit on the camera. In other words, many conventional flash units are typically received in a hot shoe mount or a bayonet mount supported by the body of the camera, which provides fixed support for the flash unit relative the camera, and possibly electrical connection for conveying a flash signal from the camera to the flash unit. Alternatively, the fixed mount may provide support only for the flash unit, with a separate electrical connection (such as external electrical wire) being made between the camera and flash unit, or between the flash unit and a battery pack therefor which is carried by the photographer and triggered by a control line from the camera.
In addition to such fixed mount supports and manual support of flash units, camera-mounted flash units are known which incorporate a pivoting base which attaches to the camera, thereby permitting adjustment of the flash unit relative the camera about a single axis of movement (such as tilting the flash back from the subject so as to bounce light off a ceiling). However, the relatively limited adjustability of such units does not favorably compare with the flexibility of studio configurations, or even manually supporting a flash unit in the field.